The midfielder appears to be on his way to St James’ in January.
When Rafa Benitez said it was ‘clear’ where Newcastle United needed to strengthen in January, per The Chronicle, the majority of fans expected to see a deep-lying midfielder playmaker saunter through the doors of St James’ Park. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, perhaps. Not Tom Cleverley.
The Chronicle claim that Newcastle have made contact with Everton about the possibility of bringing the 13-time England international to Tyneside in January, with Cleverley having made just four starts all season under Ronald Koeman.
The former Manchester United youngster, who scored his first ever Premier League goal with a sublime, long distance lob/overhit cross in a 3-0 Red Devils win at St James’ in 2012, may play in the same position as the suspended Jonjo Shelvey but their playing styles could hardly be more different.
Newcastle have lacked a creative spark in central midfield in their previous two games without the expansive distribution and vision of the 24-year-old regista, who still has three games to serve in a five-match suspension for abusing Wolves’ Romain Saiss.
In fact, Cleverley, a safe, sidewards passer who’s position in the England starting XI once led to a petition calling to ban him from the 2014 World Cup squad, shares far more similarities with the much-maligned Jack Colback.
The former Sunderland midfielder has failed to compensate for Shelvey’s absence in the centre of the park and it’s unlikely that Cleverley will be able to provide Benitez with the creativity or unpredictability currently lacking in the side.
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